Cam & Wellow Brook’s Eel pass project
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
The Site
The Cam Brook is a small river that rises near Hinton Blewitt and transverses through the somerset villages of Cameley, Temple Cloud, Camerton and Dunkerton before joining the Wellow Brook at Midford. The river also runs through the Long Dole Wood and Meadows SSSI and historically was used by the Somerset Coal Authority to service the nearby coalmines.
The Wellow Brook is another small river and tributary of the River Avon. Rising in Ston Easton, it makes it’s way through the towns of Midsomer Norton and to the west of Radstock where it is joined by River Somer and a tributary from Kilmersdon and on to Midford where it joins the Cam Brook. Adjacent to the brook are the remants of the Somerset Coal Authority’s canal which was used to service the Somerset Coalfields in Radstock and Farrington Gurney. Both of these brooks eventually find the River Avon just before the Grade I listed Dundas Aqueduct.
The Brief
Practicality Brown (PBL) were commissioned in September 2024 to undertake the installation of approximately 70nr eel tiles across both locations to open up both the stretches of the respective brooks for Eel and Lamprey.
What We Did
- With each location having its own unique set of challenges, PBL utilised its experience, knowledge and supply chain to enable suitable access and safe working areas for each project, including the supply and installation of a water filled hippo dam supplied by Potamii Ltd to establish dry working areas.
- Supplied and installed custom-made silt curtains for each site to prevent sediment being transferred downstream.
- Access to the water course along the Cam required the removal of areas of scrub and the creation of steps and handrails to enable safe access to and from the water course.
- Proposed changes to the original method of works saw PBL remove the use of a chemical concrete resin and replace with M8 bolts.
- All works followed DEFRA’s ‘Check, clean, Dry’ method to prevent INNS transmission off site.
- By speaking to local landowners, PBL provided alternative access arrangements to the River Cam site, this removed the need for loading and unloading along the busy A367.
- Provided a call out service to the client post completion to remove woody debris blocking the Midford Mill weir.
Challenges
- Steep access required that safe working access was installed.
- The River Cam access was located beneath the A367, by using our local knowledge and supply chain we sourced and utilised alternative access arrangements.
- Working within the water whilst running 110v electrical circuits for drilling.
- Creating a dry working environment within the watercourse by deploying a water inflated coffer dam.
- A short turnaround for the quote and delivery stages as the works had to be completed before the start of the Salmonoid spawning season.
Outcome
The resultant works at the Cam & Wellow Brooks saw an additional 8.4km of water course being made available for Eel and Lamprey to access, further increasing the range of potential habitat available for breeding and feeding.
Both sites were completed ahead of schedule.
See more case studies from the Practicality Brown Habitats Team.